Frostbite
by Dreamer Dreaming of a Dream
Summary: She was his first believer. She was the first to actually see and believe in him. Now she's grown, Pitch has a plan, and Jack is chosen to be a Guardian. But so has she. How will the Snow Miser react to what she was destined to be and how will he make sure that her fears will be forgotten and be replaced by him? Jack/OC
1. Prologue

_"A gust of wind blew through my hair,  
__Making a shiver go down my spine.  
__My cheeks were bright with shine,  
__That mischievous spirit is playing unfair.  
__Frost bite nips my lips,  
__But I know it's a kiss.  
__A kiss from him,  
__Jack Frost."  
__~Raven_

_**Prologue**_

Her joyous laughter filled his ears, his icy blue eyes straying over to the little girl as she played in the snow, making snow angels, little snowmen, and making a little pyramid out of snowballs while she was at it. Her seven year old figure getting covered by snow as an older man, her dad maybe, held a shovel in one hand while the other one was holding his stomach as he was bent over in laughter. The little girl paused, her brain still trying to process what just happened before she puffed out her cheeks, her little arms crossing over her chest as she stared at her father with narrowed eyes. Her eyes a dark blue, innocent and soft as they stared at the older man that chuckled as his own blue eyes stared into hers.

"Daddy!" Her little voice whined, her lips pursed.

Her father raised a brow at her, smiling at her. "Yes, princess?" The young girl made a face, making another laugh come from the older man.

"Don't call me that! I'm not a princess." She stated, a matter-of-fact tone coxing her voice.

Her father tilted his head to the side, a small smile placed upon his lips. "Then what are you?" He had asked, Jack noted as the spirit floated closer to the two, watching the little with interest as he tilted his head.

The little girl beamed at her father, her blue eyes seemingly straying over to where Jack was suppose to be, her eyes sparkling, like a pair of burning sapphires. Jack knew that she could not be seeing him, right? It was impossible, since nobody believed in little ol' him, the bringer of snow, wind, and winter. Nobody ever saw him, nobody ever whispered his name, only thinking of the big time fairy tales, like Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and even the Sandman, but never him. But was it possible that this little saw him, staring at him with her dark blue eyes.

"I want to be a spirit." She stated simply, like it was the obvious thing in the world.

Her father and Jack both raised their eyebrows, looking at her strangely. "Why is that, honey?"

_"Why?" _Jack had asked, knowing that his voice could not be heard, but spoke any way, trying to see if the young girl could actually see and hear him.

The little girl's eyes closed, as if in deep thought but they quickly snapped open, wide and lighting up, like lightning. "Because I want to watch over all the children, wanting to make them happy like the others do."

"What others?" Her father asked, seemingly confused as to why his daughter is saying these things. Where were she getting this from?

"Santa, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, Tooth Fairy and..." The little girl trailed off, her cheeks taking on a small blush, her toe digging into the snow.

"Who else?" The older man asked, watching the blush intensify as she closed her eyes.

_"Yeah, who?" _Jack questioned, hovering closer to the little and watching as her blush darkened once he got closer to her, his icy eyes looking at her with so much curiosity, it made the little girl duck her head and look shyly up at him, her dark eyes wide and more lighter than they were before.

"...And Jack Frost, daddy." She spit out, messing with her hands as she did so. Her father smiled, swooping her up in his arms and throwing her in the air, making her squeal in delight. "Daddy! Put me down!" Her laugh was music to the snow spirit's ears as he smiled at the scene of a father and his young daughter, smiling and laughing. The older man complied to his daughter orders, setting her on the ground gently. She swayed a little but quickly balanced herself out and smiled hugely at her father.

"Lunch's ready, you two!" An older woman with long brown hair and brown eyes yelled as she stood on the porch, holding a small baby in her arms, her smile soft as she gazed at her husband and daughter.

Her husband laugh joyfully, making the little girl laugh along with. "Coming honey!" He had yelled, gesturing for his daughter to follow as he started walking into the house.

The little girl paused in her steps, her blue eyes set in determination as she turned her head to look straight at Jack. She smiled softly, her eyes like a midnight sky full of stars as she stared into his pale blue eyes, ones that seemed like frozen water on a winters day. She tilted her head up at him, knowing that he was there, that he could see her and she hoped that he knew that she could see him.

"Good day, Jack." The mischievous spirit's eyes widened, making the little girl giggle and ran into her house, leaving a certain Jack Frost behind, shocked.

_"She saw me." _Jack looked at the house and floated over to the window, watching as the little girl sat at the table, a smile on her face. Her light brown hair caressed down over her shoulders, her bangs reaching her eyes as she brushed them out of her sight. His lips pulled into a smile, watching as the little girl gestured with her hands as she spoke, her cheeks red from the cold. Jack couldn't believe it. He finally had a believer.

_"She saw me."_

* * *

**That poem is by my cousin, Raven. She's really awesome. Like my favorite cousin! Well... the movie really inspired me, like really and I just loved Jack Frost. But I gotta say that my favorite is Bunnymund, with his Australian accent. I also love Sandman. Either though he doesn't say anything, he still one of my favorites. Santa is one badass fairy tale, with his Russian accent and tattoos. I also like Tooth Fairy! Especially when she said, "Look at the pretty teeth with blood and gum on them." Cracked me up when I saw Sophie running away crying! HA! Anyways...**


	2. Obscuring Reality

_"Winter follows Fall,  
__Leaves changing and naked trees.  
__I kept hearing his call,  
__As I feel the cold breeze._

_I still believe,  
No matter what people say.  
I try and take leave,  
But yet, I'm still there at the end of the day."  
~Me_

**Chapter 1: Obscuring Reality **

"Snowball fight!" She heard a kid yell, looking over her shoulder, only get a face full of snow. Everyone froze as they looked over at her, watching as she wiped the snow off her face, a frown on her face as she crossed her arms over her stomach. Her eyes narrowed as she scooped up a handful of snow, morphing it into a ball, only smirking when she saw the terrified looks on the kids faces.

"Who threw that snowball?" She had asked, tapping her foot as she tossed the ball of snow in the air, catching it as she did so. No one spoke, only looked at her with scared expressions. Then a happy-go-lucky smile spread across her face as she threw the snowball at a random kid, chuckling when it them in the forehead. "That's how you throw a snowball!" She laughed as she was pelted with snow, quickly making more snowballs as she ran for cover, breathless as she threw another one.

"WINTER!" Someone yelled, a wind blowing in her face as a sleigh went by her, sliding toward the busy streets, and fast. The young girl stood up, her blue eyes growing worried as she started running, her long legs stretching as far as possible, trying oh-so-desperately to catch up to the runaway sleigh.

"JAMIE!" She yelled, her breath quickening as her heartbeat picked up. She watched as the busy streets did not slow, not seeing or paying any attention to the little boy on the sleigh. "JAMIE!"

"WINTER, HELP!" The brunette boy yelled, hanging on tightly as he screamed for his big sister. He hoped that she would catch up to him, stopping the sleigh and save him from his death. He was hoping that his sister could stop time and grab him from the sleigh. He was hoping that his sister could stop it all. The cars were getting closer, the sleigh getting faster, Winter's screams getting fainter, and it seemed as though his life was getting shorter and the distance between him and death decreased.

_'No, no, no! This can't be happening!' _Winter screamed mentally, her legs quivering in fear. _'NO! I won't lose my brother! I refuse!' _She ran faster but it didn't do anything to help, especially when the sleigh was getting faster. The young girl thought she saw something flying beside her brother, or maybe someone? Her dark blue eyes stayed on the figure, only stopping when she tripped on something, landing on a older lady. She quickly scrambled up, helping the older woman up while sputtering out a quick, "Sorry!" Before dashing off again. She dodged left to right, almost falling again, jumping over the ice as she dodged a eighteen-reeler.

Winter watched as Jamie flew up in the air, soon falling into a pile of snow near the statue in the center of town. She gasped before she picked up speed and slid to a stop in front of the pile of snow, only falling when Jamie sprung up from the snow, patting himself down. "I'm fine!" He yelled, only to get hit by a couch, making Winter shoot up and stare wide eyed at the large furniture. Jamie soon stood up, holding a tooth in between his fingers, a bright smile on his face. He started talking excitedly about the Tooth Fairy to his friends, leaving his sister behind as she laid in the snow, breathing heavily. She just wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep right then and there. The snow was soft below her, it was cold yes, but she did not care. She liked the cold, in fact, she loved it so much that it was always her mother dragging her inside the house always scolding her that she would get a cold, but she didn't care. If anything, Winter would rather die in the snow than to die of natural causes.

And it to think that it was all because of Jack Frost that she loved the snow.

_"Jack Frost nipping at your nose." _She sang quietly, only standing up to brush herself off and stuffed her hands in her pants pocket, feeling them going numb. She didn't care. She wouldn't care if her whole body went numb. She would just smile and know that it was Jack Frost's embrace.

As she started walking, she heard a voice in the winter's wind, quietly saying, "At least someone knows who I am." It sounded male and she quickly turned around, freezing when she saw a boy, about her age, standing there with a staff in his hands, a blue hoodie with a bit of frost blanketing the shoulders, and light brown britches. He was bare-foot and deathly pale. He had snow white hair and icy blue eyes, reminding Winter of a frozen lake during a winters day. She gaped as she stared at him and he at her, not believing that she was looking at him. She remembered those eyes, those perfect icy eyes. She remembered seeing them when she was seven, playing out into the snow, only that was ten years ago. She remembered seeing a boy, barefoot with the most beautiful eyes she ever saw. She knew who he was. She said his name. She said goodbye and ran into the house. She remembered seeing Jack Frost.

"Jack?" She whispered, her lips parted as the breeze carried her voice to the spirit's ears. His eyes widened as he slowly walked over to her, his cold breath mingling with hers as he stared into her midnight sky eyes. He remembered those eyes, but he couldn't place them. He remembered a little voice, telling him to have a good day. Her eyes reminded him of a midnight sky full of stars. Her small nose was red from the cold, her cheeks puffy with a hint of blush on them reminded him of a little girl, seeing him, blushing as he got near her, and smiling up at him as she said goodbye. She always thanked him when he made it snow, always laughing and playing in the cold blanket until dark as her mother dragged her inside. If she ever got sick, she wouldn't dare blame him, she never thought it was his fault. She just learned to live with it, still smiling when she watched the snow fall.

His pale eyes softened, a small smile coming upon his face as he brought a hand up to tap the young girl's nose, seeing her nose scrunch up and her cheeks darkened. "_Winter_." Her name rolled off his tongue easily, remembering her name being called when her mother wanted her in the kitchen or her father wanted father/daughter moments with her. He remembered how she used to act when the winter spirit was around, always nervous and messing with her hands as she rung them in her grip.

He always wondered why she had acted the way she did when she was around him.

Her eyes shifted from side to side, watching as many people started glancing her way. "Follow me." She said, already walking in front of Jack as he started flying beside her, making sure that he kept close to her, feeling her warmth radiate off of her in waves. He glanced at her a couple of times, remembering when she was just a little girl, but now she was all grown up. The only things haven't changed was her eyes, hair, and even her belief in him. And for that he was happy for, making his frozen heart feel warm in his chest. Even the tips of his fingers felt warm as he put them in his hoodie, watching as Winter came to a frozen lake, glancing around, making sure that they were alone. She then turned to him, poking one of her warm fingers into his chest, her midnight blue eyes critical.

"Okay, trickster, I don't know what you're doing here, but if you ever put my little brother in that kind of situation like that ever again, you can bet that I'll be hunting you down." She said, her nose leveled with the winter spirits. Her dark blue eyes sparking with anger as she stared into his pale ones. Jack rubbed his neck sheepishly, a apologetic smile on his face as the unnatural heat warm his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, really. I didn't realize that would happen." His sorry smile turned into one of mischievous and bright, making a blush rise to the young girls cheeks, her posture turning meek as her eyes turned to the snow covered ground. "It was all in good fun, I'm promise. At least he's still alive and breathing. All he really lost was a tooth." He joked, making a small chuckle come from Winter. His pale face softened, his feet touching the icy ground, only being taller than Winter by a few inches. He leaned on his staff, his pale eyes looking at Winter intently, watching her as she began to squirm underneath his gaze. Little Winter has really grown into something after the last time he had seen her, which was six years ago, if he remembered correctly. She was taller, probably 5' 6", but her face was soft, gentle and looked smooth to the touch. Her eyelashes were longer, her blue eyes still the same midnight color that he remembered. Her cheeks still had the natural blush on them, darkening when he brought a hand to cup her cheek.

He really missed her.

"It's good to see you again Winter." He spoke, his eyes squinting when her own orbs met his.

"Y-You too, Jack." She whispered, a chill going down her spine. His skin was ice cold, like he was a living ice sculpture. But she didn't mind. She loved the cold, she would rather choose freezing to death than to burn in the Summer's heat. She always thought that the cold was better than being cooked by the hot sun. Fall and Winter was her favorite seasons, but Winter was her most loved. It was all like a painting, one that was perfect, or maybe a winter wonderland that was suppose to only exist in dreams, not reality. Like how Jack was suppose to exist in dreams, not reality. But she didn't care, she was glad that he was real.

She would rather obscure reality than live a life with no imagination at all.

His grin widened, letting go of her face and hovered above the ground, his pale eyes gleaming with mischief.

_'Oh no. I know that look.' _Winter thought, only falling to the ground when a pile of snow landed on her. Laughter filled her ears as her head popped out of the icy blanket, her face red with embarrassment and a little bit of anger as she looked at the laughing spirit as he held his stomach, pointing at her as he laughed his head off. The young girl pursed her lips, grabbing an hand full of snow, morphing it onto a ball and threw it, right into the snow spirits face. Everything went silent as Jack stared at Winter, wide eyed as it was her turn to laugh at the look of surprise that was on the Snow Miser's face.

"Now _that_ is funny!" She giggled, standing up while brushing some snow off of her as Jack stared at her, only narrowing his eyes when a slow, devious smirk crossed his features. Winter looked at him as backed away slowly, putting her hands up in surrender, a nervous chuckle dropping from her lips. "Now, now Jack. Can't bygones be bygones and forget that this ever ha-AH!" She squealed as Jack picked her up and started flying up high in the sky, making the brunette snake her arms around his neck and stuff her face in the crook of where his shoulder and neck meet. Her eyes closed as he brought them higher, passed the clouds and smiled at the beautiful view of the sun's light reflecting off the clouds, making them look like they were made of gold.

He chuckled as her hands gripped his shoulders tighter, a little shudder come from her body as the cold wind hit her. "Winter, look." He whispered in her ear, watching with amusement as she slowly peeked her out and looked at the breath taking view.

"It's beautiful." She breathed, thinking that this is where heaven and earth meet. Her dark blue orbs traveled to Jacks icy blue ones, only one thought crossing her mind as she looked at the pale face of Jack Frost.

_'I would obscure reality forever, if it only meant that I would ge to spend my time with him.' _


	3. Believing is Seeing

_"I don't see with my eyes,  
I instead look within my heart.  
Forgetting the many lies,  
As I have a head start.  
Believing is seeing,  
Not seeing is believing."  
~Me_

**Chapter 2: Believing is Seeing **

Night soon fell upon the small town, making the air much colder than it was before. Winter, who was bundled in Jack's arms, marveled at the gold sand that was traveling through the air like it was nothing. Her eyes peeked up at the small figure of a man, seemingly made by the golden sand that traveled to kids bedroom. A small gasp came from her lips as the eyes of the golden figure turned to her, his sand circling around Jack and her. She dragged her fingers through the smooth sand, a snowman coming to life as he started dancing and tipped his hat at her, a bright smile on his face. She giggled, blushing when she glanced at Jack only to see him watching her with a smirk on his face. He landed on the telephone wires, completely balanced as he held her in his cold embrace. She raised a brow and openly stared at his face, seeming to notice how truly handsome he really is.

He had features that she never seen on any other boy that she ever met before. His snow white hair, deathly pale skin, icicle orbs, pale blue lips. He was truly something different, but she didn't care. She liked different. She liked strange things. It's what made people stand out to her. They were like the color in this grey world, creating a rainbow when it rained and shining the sun when it was dark. Pink covered her face as Jack planted a snowflake on her cheek, feeling the cold frost as it melt on her warm cheek. Wind whipped around her hair, feeling the water on her cheek freeze once again. She brought a hand to the frozen spot on her cheek, tracing the shape only to realize that it was shaped like a star. She blinked three times, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at Jack, only seeing him smile, like he was completely innocent.

"You've been nipped." He whispered, flying back into the air, letting the wind carry them. "I'd like to show you something before the day truly ends." He spoke gently to her, like a husband would while trying to surprise his wife or a friend comforting another, smiling when they smiled. Jack Frost was excited that someone actually believed in him, can hear his voice, can see him as he played his tricks, can watch him create the snow that made him what he is today. And it's been so long since he has seen Winter, only watching her from a distance as she played with the other children, always sneaking out after dark in her pajamas where she could marvel at how the snow seemed to dance, landing gracefully on the ground, like they were dancers, ending their part while getting a entertained laugh from their one person audience. He wanted to spend time with her, to get to know her all over again, just to be near her and her warmth.

He was selfish, he reminded himself as he thought of Winters family, thinking that they were worrying over her. He didn't want Winter to get in trouble for his own selfishness but he really didn't want this day to end.

"Where are we going, Jack?" Winter asked, shifting her dark blue eyes to him in curiosity.

Snow Miser seemed to tsk at her question, sending a wink at her. "It's a surprise." He stated, chuckling when Winter rolled her eyes playfully and watched the world below, only gasping when she saw a shadow pass by.

"Jack." When he looked at her, he saw fear in her eyes as she looked around frantically, trying to find something.

"What is it?"

She shook her head, blinking and bringing a hand to hold her forehead. "I thought I saw someth-" She stopped as Jack put a hand to her mouth, hearing something in a nearby alley, his icy eyes glancing over there. He uncovered Winter's mouth, putting a finger to his lips as he landed on the ice covered ground as he set Winter's feet on the ground gently.

"Go home, Winter." He commanded, only getting punched in the arm as he whipped his head around to look at Winter in surprise. Her expression was one of anger, sarcastic, and a little bit apologetic. "What was that for?" He whispered/yelled/asked at her.

"I'm not going home Jack. I saw that thing first and I want to know what it is." She whispered to him, her eyebrows furrowed as she pursed her lips in a serious frown. Jack knew that he couldn't say no to her, she was too stubborn to listen to him. And plus she could punch pretty hard, he wouldn't want to get in her way when she's mad.

The trickster sighed and nodded, only putting a hand on her shoulders, looking into her midnight eyes. "But if anything goes wrong, I want you to run home."

"But-"

"Run, Winter. Please, for me?" He did the pout. The pout! Winter could never say no to the pout, especially when it came to Jack's pout. His eyes were looking right into hers, his lips in a serious yet gentle frown with his bottom lip slightly putted out, his eyebrows furrowed. Winter sighed and nodded, not seeing the smile on Jack's face but seeing the guarded look and posture he set up. He walked slowly into the alley, Winter right behind him, her eyes full of worry as her heart thumped quick in her chest and she thought that it soon might burst out and land on the cold cement ground. She shook her head mentally, trying to clear that silly thought out of her mind and instead focused on the here and now and what's happened and whats going to happen next.

"'Ello, mate." An Australian accent made Winter jump and turn around, watching as the dark figure twirled a... boomerang?

_'Wait-what? Backtrack, now.' _Winter did a double take and indeed the figure was twirling a boomerang in its hands.

"Been a long time. Blizzard of sixty-eight, I believe." The figure stepped out into the light and what Winter saw made her want to knock her head into a wall and wake up from this dream. But she knew that she wasn't dreaming and there really was a six-one rabbit with long ears, Spring green eyes, grayish-blue fur and what seemed like tribal markings etched into its fur. He wore a strap across his chest that was full of boomerangs and... eggs? "Easter Sunday, wasn't it?" He asked and way before he said that, Winter knew who he was. The Easter Bunny.

"Bunny! You're not still mad about that, are ya?" Jack asked, mocking innocent as Winter looked between the two, catching the tall bunny's bright green eyes. She looked away quickly and looked towards Jack as he tried to look innocent as could be.

"Yes." Bunny wasn't hesitant in giving the Snow Miser a piece of his mind, but he didn't want the sheila thinking bad of him. Besides, he needs to stay on her good side if he wants her to come with him to meet the others. After all, she is part of this also.

* * *

_E. Aster Bunnymund was absolutely furious at the Man in the Moon when he had chosen Jack Frost to become a Guardian, but that all replaced by curiosity as the blue crystal soon showed a young girl, maybe around the age of seventeen/eighteen with long brown hair, and striking midnight blue eyes. She had a bright smile on her face as a natural blush colored her tan skin. She was tall, maybe five-six, with high cheek bones and a small nose. _'What?' _He thought, glancing over at North. _

_North stood there with a vacant of any emotion. That was until his face broke out into a large smile, his crows feet showing. "AH-HA! Man in Moon chose two Guardians! But this one," he paused as he walked over to the crystal, circling it as he laughed. "This one is no surprise. Should 'ave known she would've become one!" His Russian accent coated his loud voice as he just laughed. __Bunny and Tooth seemed like the only ones that did not understand, only watching as Sandy and North celebrated. _

_"Uh... mates?" Bunny gained both Guardians attention, seeing the biggest smiles on both of there faces. "What's so great about this sheila that makes both of you so excited?" _

_North just grinned as he walked over to a drawer and opened, searching through some stuff, only letting out a victorious 'HA' as he pulled a piece of paper out handing it to Bunny. As his bright green eyes scanned over the paper, his mind started to click together again. After he finished, he passed it to Tooth who read over it at least ten times. The Fantasist has finally been reborn. _

_"She's back?" Tooth asked, her eyes full of excitement as she started humming and flying around as she got a nod from Sandy and North. "The Fantasist! She's back!" _

_ 'Dear Santa, _

_Hello again, looks like another year has passed and I am again writing to you. Like many other Christmas's, I do not want a gift, but what I already have is a gift. All I can is that I thank you for all the childhood memories you have given me and the many wonders you provided. I do wish that I could see you again. Maybe I'll catch you sneaking off with a cookie again? But anyways, please give my regards to Tooth, Easter Bunny, and Sandman for giving me memories, hope, and dreams to provide me in the future. I hope that all of you will have a very Merry Christmas. _

_Sincerely, _

_Winter Bennett' _

'She's back.'

* * *

"But this is about something else." Bunny said, looking back at his boomerang, a calm expression on his face. "Fella's." He called, not watching as two yeti's came out of no where and picked up Jack and shoved him into a sack. Winter gasped and backed away, watching with wide eyes as they pulled out a snow globe and threw it up, seeing as a portal replaced the snow globe. They looked back at Bunny and grunted out unintelligent words, only getting a shake of the head from Bunny. "Me?" He laughed sarcastically, quickly grabbing Winter and thumping his feet on the ground. "Not on your nelly. See ya back at the pole." He then quickly disappeared, cringing when Winter started screaming.

"Hey! Wait a sec-"

"Hold on tight sheila!"

Winter found herself on Bunny's back and gripped tightly onto his fur as he quickly made his way into his tunnel, hoping off of walls and made his way to his destination. The young female closed her eyes tightly and shoved her face into Bunny's fur, feeling the warm breeze against her neck. The pounding of his footfalls calmed her racing heart as she breathed in the scent of the oversized rabbit. _'He smells like Spring.' _She thought, lifting her head as they both exited the tunnel, her on his back as he stayed on all fours, waiting for the girl to climb off. Winters eyes widened as she looked at the other occupants in the room, the breath in her lungs giving out as she stared at the Fairy Tales her father used to tell her.

Her blue eyes first caught the big blurry man in the middle with a smile on his bearded face. He wore a red shirt, black pants with black boots, and sash that was dark and light red striped. His big blue eyes just seemed so full of wonder as he stared at her, nodding his head in a approval. Next her eyes shifted to a feathered figure, her wings flapping at a very fast pace, like a hummingbirds. She had a bright smile on her face as she flew over to Winter, her purple eyes wide and excited.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Winter!" She squealed like a teenager, prying the poor girls mouth open as she inspected it. "When did you last floss?" Tooth asked, her eyes still directed to Winter's teeth. Of course the young girl couldn't answer Tooth's question because _someone's_ fingers was still in her mouth.

"Tooth!" Santa bellowed. "Hands out of mouth. She cannot speak." Tooth seemed ashamed as she retracted her hands and put them by her side once again, apologizing softly to Winter.

"That's alright, Tooth." Winter said, giving the Tooth Fairy a smile. "And to answer your question, I flossed this morning." Tooth beamed happily, her wings humming loudly as she flew around happily. The blue eyed girl looked over at the Sandman, tipping her head at him and smiled. "Sandman, nice to see you again." She then grinned and raised a brow. "Thank you for the dream last night, but why?" Sandman only shrugged with an innocent smile on his face, only making Winter's eyes roll in their sockets. She looked back at North and whistled. "So..." She trailed out, looking at North as though he will tell her why she is here. "Why am I here again?"

Santa just laughed and patted her on the back. "We wait 'til Jack arrives." His heavily Russian accent threw Winter off and made her do a double take.

_'Huh... Didn't know he was Russian.' _


	4. Afraid of the Dark

_"My heart feels cold.  
Mommy, can't you hear me?  
His eyes are like frozen gold.  
Daddy, please help me!  
What are these dark things?  
They chase after me.  
I try to fly with broken wings.  
Please, don't leave me."  
~Me_

**Chapter 3:**** Afraid of the Dark**

Just as Winter was about to ask something, a portal appeared, having two Yeti's jumping out, throwing a bag onto the floor. Winter winced as she heard Jack groan. _'Ouch, that's gotta hurt.' _She thought, watching as the sack started moving and then was opened by two cute elves.

"He's here." Santa announced, joyfully. And when Winter looked at him, she saw a big smile on his face. "Quiet." Of Tooth started buzzing off with her little followers, telling them what to do. She was speaking at such a fast pace that Winter could barely understand her. Winter watched as Jack peeked out from the sack, looking at Santa before popping his head out of the sack. "There he is. Jack Frost!"

The Snow Miser gaped at the big four, only saying, "Woah. You gotta be kidding me." As his eyes jumped from North to Sandy to Tooth then to Bunny before his eyes landed on Winter and gave her a confused look, only him getting a shrug in return. The Yeti's, on each side of Frosty, grabbed the boy's arms and lifted him up, planting his feet on the ground instead of him sitting on the floor.

"Hope the Yeti's treated you well?" North asked, gesturing to the two big furry things on either side of Jack. Winter didn't even try holding back her smile as he asked that or the look of sarcasm on Jack's face. She knew he was going to say something smart.

"Oh yeah~" He laughed, kicking his staff up so he caught it in mid-air. "I love being shoved into a sack and tossed through a magic portal." See, Winter was right. He was going to say something sarcastic. The young just smiled as she caught his eye.

Despite his sarcastic reply, North just smiled at him and said, "Oh good. That was my idea." Winter bit back a chuckle that threatened to break through, only biting down on her tongue when the chuckle seemed to come back. "You know Bunny, obviously." The big man gestured to the tall rabbit, who was leaning up against the wall, looking at his paw. The image was almost comically, it reminded Winter of a teenage girl trying so desperately to look cool and collected around someone she did not like. "And the Tooth Fairy."

Tooth flew up to Jack, her wings humming. "Hello, Jack. I heard a lot about you and your teeth." She sounded collected there for moment if she didn't mentioned teeth. That's when things got a little strange that made Winter want to burst out laughing.

"My... My-what?" Jack asked, confused and very disturbed as to what might happen next. He sent a glare to Winter, who was doubled over, holding her stomach as her hand covered her mouth.

"Open up!" Tooth commanded, making Winter sit on the floor, shaking with silent laughter as she tried to watch. "Are they really as white as they say?" She pried open his mouth with her fingers, her purple eyes bright as they moved to one tooth to another. "Yes, OH!" She gasped, looking fascinated as she looked at the white dazzling teeth that just seemed to sparkle. "Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" Her little hummingbird like fairies swooned over the frosty teenager, only making Winter's laughs intensify. "Girls, pull yourselves together! Let's not disgrace the uniform." She scolded lightly, her elegant fingers resting on her hips.

"And Sandman." North continued, not even mad that he was interrupted. By this time, Winter managed to calm down her laughs, swallowing them down, only letting a few chuckles escape. When she looked over at Sandy, he was asleep and hovering just a few inches off the ground. "Sandy? Sandy? Wake up!" North shook him a little, making Sandy's feet touch the ground and his warm gold eyes open. Winter slowly lifted herself off the ground, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she started walking around, stopping at the big globe that was the exact image of the Earth, with little lights showing. Her head cocked to the side a little, turning away from it as she started straying back somewhere near the four legends but were infront of them, watching Jack's expression.

"Hey, oh. Anyone want to tell me why I'm here?" His eyes then went to Winter, looking back at North. "And Winter?" The young girl just looked at the four expectantly, waiting for them to spill why her and Jack were here. Sandy tried to explain by creating figures with his sand but he was going to fast for even Winter to comprehend what he was trying to say. Jack smiled down at the little man made of golden sand. "Uh... It's... That-That's not really helping. But-But thanks little man." The Snow Miser then started to walk around, swinging his staff pass an elf, freezing it. "I must've done something bad to get you four together. Am I on the naughty list?" He asked, when knowing perfectly well that he was, but was only feigning innocence as he stared back at the four.

"HA!" North boomed, holding his belly before looking at Jack. "On naughty list? You hold the record." The Russian man said seriously, pointing a finger at the frozen teenage boy before going back to his jolly self. "But no matter, we overlook. Now, we are wiping clean the slate." He said, wiping his tattooed arms to emphasize his point.

"How come?" Winter and Jack asked at the same time, squinting their eyes at the four, suspicion written clear all over their faces.

"Ah, good question." Bunny said sarcastically (mostly to Jack), his eyes going to Winter's dark orbs, only able to hold her gaze for only a second before glancing away.

With his hands on his hips, Santa just repeated the question, "How come? I'll tell you how come! Because now, you are GUARDIANS!" He yelled, throwing his arms up in the air while two Yeti's behind him held up burning candles, the elves bringing out horns, playing a turn that obviously meant 'congratulations'. Winter seemed confused and dazed as she stared at them, her hands clenching in her pockets. She didn't know what they meant by 'Guardian' but something in her seemed to just snap. She had no reason to be angry, but in her heart it just seemed right. She didn't even know what they were talking about, yet she felt offended by what they said. Why? Was the question to where she didn't have an answer. She just wanted to be angry, furious even, at the four. But she didn't want to be. What was wrong with her? Why was she even feeling like this? She mentally shook all thoughts from her head, turning her back on everything, on everyone. She just wanted to go home, that's all.

She felt something going around her neck, only opening her eyes as she looked at the hand-crafted necklace around her neck. Her eyes narrowed, her hand coming up to grasp the necklace and ripping it off of her neck, clutching it tightly in her fist, hoping that it would disappear, that everything would disappear. Her teeth grounded together in attempt to hold back the harsh words that were trying desperately to escape her mouth.

"This is the best part!" North's voice yelled, making Winter's grip on the necklace tightened.

The music got louder, seeming to block Winter from her thoughts, making it hard for her to concentrate on anything. _'I wish everything would just be quiet!' _She yelled in her head, bringing a hand up to clutch at her forehead, thinking that that will stop the on-coming headache that was starting to build up.

Then a loud crack was heard, a breeze was felt, making goosebumps pop up onto Winter's skin and then everything went quiet and a shock silence held the quietness. The brunette turned her head to see what was up and saw that everything and everyone was ruffled from the strong breeze that Jack created. His furious face made the young girl worry, hoping that he wouldn't explode too badly.

"What makes you think that I want to be a Guardian?" He asked, looking at every single legend that stood there, or hovered, and glared at them.

It was quiet, everything just seemed... shocked? And nobody knew what to say. Midnight blue eyes trailed up to North, who held a book near his chest, as she just stared at him, waiting for his reaction. Then, he laughed. He laughed! Of course he would laugh, he's Santa, the joyous legend. The one that never seemed to fret over anything. He looked at every Guardian that was by his side as he laughed, only gesturing to Jack and straying his eyes back to Jack, a confident air about him. "Of course you do." He said simply, like he knew what Jack wanted. "And so does Winter."

"And who said I wanted to be one?" She asked quietly but firmly, looking at the jolly old man.

North was surprised for only a moment before smiling hugely. "Was that not your wish when you were little?" He asked, knowing full and well that Winter wanted to be one them when she was just a little tyke.

Winter mouth opened before closing it slowly before sighing. "I was just a kid! I didn't know what I wanted to be and that just popped up into my head. I didn't mean it. Besides, I can't leave when I have a family." She tried convincing them and she even tried convincing herself, but it seemed that it didn't work on any of them.

"You don't mean that, sheila." Bunny stated, making his way over to her, staring her down. "That's all you ever hoped for when you were young, you anklebiter." He then backed away from her, going back over to the rest and stood beside Santa.

"Music!" Santa yelled happily, the elves happily blowing their horns again, only Jack had a different idea.

"No music!" He commanded and the music died, the elves looking sad that they didn't get to play their song. "This is all very flattering, but-uh you don't want me. You're all hard work and deadlines. I'm just snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian." As he was saying this he hoped onto a desk and then sat down with such grace that Winter wished she possessed.

"Yeah." Bunny laughed. "That's exactly what I said." He nudged North, looking at up at the large man.

"Jack." Tooth said, flying over to him and getting right into his face, searching for something and hoping to convince him and maybe even Winter. "I don't think you understand what it is we do." She proceded to fly over to the massive globe, gesturing to it. "Each of those lights is a child."

"A child who believes." North butted in, looking at the globe. Winter looked up at it also, coming up beside North as he spoke. "And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them." He glanced down at Winter who stood beside him, the grip on the necklace loosening as her eyes looked at the lights, biting her lip as she did so.

"Ah-ah!" Jack grunted, making North and Winter glance at him only to see that Tooth had her fingers in his mouth, once again.

"Tooth, fingers out of mouth." He scolded lightly to her.

"Oh sorry." She apologized, still not over the fact that such beautiful teeth were in her presence. "They're beautiful."

"Okay, no more wishy-washy, Pitch is out there doing who knows what!" North exclaimed, saying that name that always struck a chord of fear in Winter's heart. Pitch, the Boogeyman. She swallowed thickly, looking down at the ground, her mind flashing back to the shadows that always seemed to find her at her weakest.

"You mean the-"

"Boogeyman." Winter cut Jack off, closing her eyes and walking a little ways off from the group, running a hand through her hair. "He's back?" She asked herself more than the others as she turned around and stared at North, her blue eyes wide with fear. She was afraid. Afraid that he might hurt her again. Afraid that he _will_ hurt her again, just like the last time.

"Yes." North answered, giving her a sympathetic look. Her eyes traveled to Sandy's, seeing his golden irises meet hers. They were so warm and kind, had so much to say, and so full of compassion, unlike Pitch. His eyes were like frozen gold, so cold and heartless, empty and lifeless. Unmerciful, he was. With everything he had, he delivered it to Winter to consume her thoughts. She was afraid and she thought that she actually got rid of the nightmares, but its seems that Pitch was just gathering more strength to hurt her even more. She didn't want it to happen, but what could she, a mere mortal, do? There was nothing that could help her escape Pitch and his nightmares. It was like he had something against her, like he wanted to drown her in his darkness and make her stay in fear, forever.

Why was she so special? All she ever wanted was to left alone by him and she was hoping that he finally left her, finally bored of torturing her. But she was dead wrong, for it was about to get even worse now.

"The Boogeyman, are you serious?" Jack just laughed it off, not even concerned about Pitch in the slightest, but he was worried about Winter and the way she had asked if he was really back. It was like she was afraid for it to be even true. It was like he already had a hold onto her and dragging her down beneath the darkness, tearing her away from the light. Consuming her until she was nothing and eating away at her fear. It was like she was already in the dark, her dark orbs filling up with scarred memories of Pitch and that made Jack question if she had already encountered the black Spirit.

That worried him.

Her hand went up to her right arm, already feeling the scars that were left behind from her and Pitch's last encounter and that was five years ago. She could still remember everything so clearly. Darkness, cold gold eyes, a shadowy figure, an evil laugh, and then, blood pouring from her arm. Three claw-like scratches marred her skin as the crimson liquid leaked out, only the pain making her scream. She was lucky her mother had heard her and called 911, rushing her to the hospital. She couldn't stand closing her eyes, afraid that she might see those terrifying eyes and hear that menacing laugh. She would cry when she was left alone in the dark, pulling the cover around her and shoving her head under the pillow, chanting, "He's not real. He's not real." Over and over again, knowing full and well that he was real.

And she was afraid. Afraid of the dark.

* * *

**And that was a fast update if I do say so myself!**


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